Who we are
Crushers Club believes that every individual deserves the right to a future filled with opportunity and free from violence.
Our mission is to be the strongest alternative to gangs in Chicago. We provide at-risk boys and young men the tools required to restore their lives and improve their neighborhood.
We started as a boxing club. We are now so much more!
Crushers Club is a safe haven from gun violence and crime. From our facility in Englewood, we provide programming and employment to teenagers in the community. We keep them off the streets, out of gangs and teach them skills for their future.
We are fighting for a brighter future for Englewood.
Will you join us?
What we do
Crushers Kitchen provides training in a commercial kitchen and the opportunity to sell produce at local markets.
Our Programs
Our innovative programs set Englewood youth up for success.
Crushers Club employees teenagers (14+) at the club, before placing them in community businesses, while on our payroll.
Since our founding in 2013, we have employed over 1,000 youth. Our boys serve, on average, 30,000 paid workforce hours a year. Every year we can welcome approximately 125 Crushers.
90% of Crushers’ youth (without a history of justice-involvement) stay out of the juvenile justice system.
Antonio joined Crushers Club in 2019 and committed to our workforce program. He is now a student at Pine Bluff College.
Our Impact
Numbers don’t lie. And our numbers speak for themselves.
90% of Crushers’ youth (without a history of justice involvement) stay out of the juvenile justice system. The majority (85%+) of justice-involved youth do not re-offend within three years, in stark contrast to the state average, in which 80% of justice-involved male youth do re-offend within three years.
Our workforce model costs $10,000 per youth per year, vs $90,000 for youth incarceration.
Help us crush the violence and restore the path
Board Chair, Corey, with some members of Crushers Club!
Our Team
We couldn’t do what we do without the dedication and commitment of an incredible team.
Although we started as a a boxing club, and boxing remains a core program, we are now so much more!
Our staff, board and partners work tirelessly to support and coach Crushers’ boys on a daily basis.
It takes a village.
Learn more about Crushers Club!
Want to know more about who we are and what we do? Curious to see what happens behind the scenes at the club?
Watch this video which gives an overview of our programs, results and impact.
What we do matters. Join us in saving young lives in Englewood.
Our Values
90% of Crushers’ youth (without a history of justice involvement) stay out of the juvenile justice system.
The majority (75%+) of justice-involved youth do not re-offend within three years.
We believe this is because we teach accountability through our four values:
Discipline, Respect, Ownership and Love.
We give a hand-up.
Discipline
Working hard and following rules is everything. No swearing, no talking about others. Lots of sit-ups, push-ups and hard work. Discipline is the only way to win, both in and out of the ring.
Respect
To get it, you have to earn it. Being a member of Crushers Club means treating everyone - staff and each other - with the highest levels of respect, at all times.
Ownership
Crushers Club members learn to take charge of their lives and their futures. They alone are responsible for their actions and their victories.
Love
Feeling loved is the only way to be able to love others - and yourself. Crushers Club provides unconditional support for these young men as they fight to change their lives.
“The Crushers know that discipline, love and hard work are required to win both inside and outside the ring.”
— Sally Hazelgrove, Founder and President
Support Crushers Club:
Generous donations to Crushers Club empower youth in Englewood and enable us to employ at-risk boys and young men.
With your help, we can continue to expand our successful program and serve greater numbers of youth.
Will you join us in fighting for a brighter future for Englewood?
With thanks to our donors:
Crushers Club also greatly appreciates generous contributions from the W.P. and H.B. White Foundation, the Andrew and Alice Fischer Charitable Trust, the John W. Anderson Foundation, and many individual donors.